The Azores Airlines is inaugurating the first of four new A321neo aircraft, delivered by the Airbus consortium based in Hamburg, Germany.

The first commercial flight to Boston is schedule to debut on February 2nd, connecting Ponta Delgada João Paulo II Airport and Boston Logan Airport.

There will be four weekly flights, which were previously made with Airbus A310. As of March, with a second A321neo in service, Azores Airlines has scheduled six flights per week. Also starting in March, coinciding with the start of the IATA 2018 summer season, the A321neo will begin flying on the Ponta Delgada-Lisbon routes (10 flights per week) and Ponta Delgada-Toronto (Canada) with six weekly flights. In addition, starting March 2018, services are scheduled for the Terceira-Boston route with one flight per week.

The A321neo carries up to 186 passengers, offering the widest single-aisle cabin on the market, with modern comfort in every class. The new aircraft will replace the existing A31, bringing new levels of operating efficiency, passenger comfort, low fuel burn and emissions.

Named “Breathe” the new A321neo is a clear reference to the open skies and fresh air the islands have to offer travelers. Its fuselage is decorated with a blue and green design, alluding to the dominant natural colors of the Azores.

The new aircraft is the first of six A321neo on order by Azores Airlines. The second aircraft “Wonder” will be delivered at the end of the first quarter of 2018. The next four aircraft will be operational between 2019 and early 2021.

With the new aircraft acquisition (Portuguese registration CS-TSF), the Azores Airlines becomes the first Portuguese carrier to offer six new-generation, brand-new Airbus A321neo, with the aim to providing a more efficient service and robust network.

Azores Airlines has been offering regular air service between Boston and the Azores, and Lisbon and Porto mainland Portugal, with seasonal service from Providence (Rhode Island), Oakland (California), and Toronto (Canada). In addition, Azores Airlines offers connections to Madeira, Cape Verde and the Canary Islands and major Western European cities.

Azores Airlines, part of the SATA Group, has connected the United States with the Azores and mainland Portugal for more than 35 years.